ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Puducherry presents Annual Action Plan to achieve ‘HarGharJal’ under JalJeevan Mission
UT plans 100% saturation by September 2021
Annual Action Plan meeting on planning and implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission  in Puducherry was held today, via video conferencing, wherein Government officials of UT presented the plan to achieve ‘HarGharJal’ to the committee of Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, chaired by Secretary with members from different Central Ministries/ Departments and NITI Aayog.
The total number of rural households in Puducherry is 1.16 lakh, and it has tap water connections in about 1.09 lakh  rural households. Puducherry plans for 100% saturation by the second quarter of 2021-22. Puducherry in their AAP showed their roll-out plan for implementing Village Action Plan  and constitution of Village Water & Sanitation Committee .
UT was urged to well utilize various funds available through the convergence of different programmes like MGNREGS, JJM, SBM , 15th FC Grants to PRIs, District Mineral Development Fund, CAMPA, CSR Fund, Local Area Development Fund, etc. at the village level and a Village Action Plan  for every village should be prepared by dovetailing all these resources for long-term drinking water security. Local community to be at the centre of all the activities especially operation and maintenance for regular and uninterrupted water supply to households.It was advised to the UT to get NABL accreditation/ recognition of all the water testing labs immediately and testing of all 100% drinking water sources as per JJM guidelines.
Jal Jeevan Mission is a flagship program of the Government of India to provide household tap water connection to every rural household of the country by 2024.Under JalJeevan Mission, priority is being given on water quality surveillance through active participation of frontline functionaries as well as involving the local community. 5 persons especially women are being trained in every village to use the Field Test Kits to test the quality of water. Besides, an effective strategy to inform, educate and communicate with the people has to be devised by the UT to instil behavioural change & community mobilisation for various aspects of water supply and water conservation.
As the financial year, 2021-22 begins, the rigorous joint review exercise to finalize the Annual Action Plans  are being held from 9th April. The committee carries out scrutiny of the proposed Annual Action Plan  prepared by States/ UTs before finalizing the same. Thereafter, funds are released throughout the year and regular field visits, review meetings are held to ensure implementation of the Annual Action Plan to achieve ‘HarGharJal’.
Ministry of Finance
Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman chairs review meeting of the National Infrastructure Pipeline
Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a meeting with Secretaries of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare here today reviewed the progress of National Infrastructure Pipeline  implementation. The agenda was to discuss the progress of NIP projects, expenditure incurred so far and the initiatives taken to expedite the project implementation. This was the second review meeting by the Finance Minister with various Ministries & Departments to monitor and accelerate NIP project implementation.
It was explained in the meeting that despite the pandemic, the NIP has managed to achieve substantial progress. The NIP was launched with 6,835 projects, which is now expanded to more than 7,300 projects. Many Ministries/departments have shown substantial progress in project implementation and expenditure, especially, in Q2 of FY21. In addition, majority of ministries/departments have targeted substantially high Infra-expenditure in FY21 than the actual expenditure of FY 20.
In the review meeting, in addition to infra spending along with annual targeted and achieved expenditure by these two ministries/departments, various initiatives taken by them to expedite were also discussed. 24 projects worth INR 80,915 crore under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and 10 large projects worth INR 2,79,604 crore under the Department of Water Resources, RD & GR were reviewed in detail along with bottlenecks, if any, being faced in the project implementation.
While reviewing the progress, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman said that NIP is a part of the Government of India’s initiative to provide world class infrastructure to its citizens and enhance the ease of living. The Finance Minister asked the two ministries/departments to push the infra-expenditure by effectively implement all NIP projects in time and to ensure quick resolution of unresolved issues in coordination with State Governments and other Ministries. Ministries/Departments were also asked to promote investible projects by holding discussions with prospective investors. Ministries were also asked to update the National Infrastructure Pipeline dashboard regularly to allow seamless online monitoring.
Ministry of Home Affairs
Lok Sabha passes the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu  Bill, 2019
"Minimum Government, Maximum Governance" – Rationale behind the Amendment
Administrative Convenience, Speedy Development and Effective Implementation of Central and State Government Schemes to be the Focus: Shri G. Kishan Reddy
Lok Sabha passed the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu  Bill, 2019 today. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri G. Kishan Reddy addressed the Lok Sabha and said that the bill has been brought to provide for merger of union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, in view of the policy of the Government to have "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance". This would bring about administrative convenience, speedy development and effective implementation of central and state government schemes.
Shri Reddy said that both the Lok Sabha seats would remain intact and there will be no change in the status of Group III and IV employees. The merged entity would be governed under the jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court, he added.
Informing about the rationale behind bringing the amendment, Shri Reddy said that the Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu share a lot in terms of administrative set up, history, language and culture. The Secretaries to various Departments, Chief of Police and Chief Conservator of Forest of the both Union territories are common and the officers of All-India Services posted by the Ministries of Home Affairs, Environment and Forests serve both these territories as per their work allocation. Further, the policies and development schemes in various sectors including Tourism, Industries, Education and Information Technology are similar.
Besides these, the Minister stated that there are two secretariats and parallel departments which consume infrastructure and manpower in each Union territory. The Administrator, Secretaries, and Heads of certain departments functions in both the Union territories on alternate days affecting their availability to people and monitoring functioning of subordinate staff. The subordinate employees of both the Union territories are separate. Further, various departments of the Government of India have to co-ordinate with both the Union territories separately, causing duplication of works.
Having two separate constitutional and administrative entities in both the Union territories leads to lot of duplicity, inefficiency and wasteful expenditure. Further, this also causes unnecessary financial burden on the Government. Besides these, there are various challenges for cadre management and career progression of employees. Availability of more officers and infrastructure would help in more efficient implementation of flagship schemes of the government, the Shri Reddy said.
The Bill, inter alia, provides for better delivery of services to the citizens of both Union territories by improving efficiency and reduction in paper work; reduction in administrative expenditure; bringing uniformity in policies and schemes; better monitoring of schemes and projects; and, better management of cadres of various employees.
Ministry of Defence
Union Budget proposes to set up 100 new Sainik Schools in partnership with NGOs/private schools/states
Union Budget for Financial Year 2021-22 has proposed to set up 100 new Sainik Schools in the country, in partnership with NGOs/private schools/state owned schools etc. Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman had presented the Budget in Parliament on February 01, 2021. The endeavor is to provide schooling opportunities in ‘CBSE Plus’ type of educational environment by involving desirous Government/Private schools/NGOs to partner in establishing/aligning their system with Sainik Schools’ ethos, value system and national pride. It envisages enrolling existing/upcoming schools to be run on the lines of Sainik Schools’ curriculum.
All 100 schools are proposed to be affiliated to Sainik Schools Society. Such affiliated Sainik Schools will be provided with part financial support to incentivise the effort.
The aim of establishing Sainik Schools is to prepare children academically, physically and mentally for entry into the National Defence Academy and to develop qualities of body, mind and character which will enable the young boys to become good and useful citizens.
At present, there are 33 Sainik Schools functioning all over the country. From the academic session 2021-22, girl candidates are also eligible for admission to Class VI in all 33 Sainik Schools.
ABB/Nampi/KA/DK/Savvy
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Ministry of Labour & Employment
Shri Santosh Gangwar Inaugurates Pension Week
In order to drive enrolments under Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan  and National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed Persons , Labour Ministry has decided to celebrate Pension Week during 30th Nov, 2019 - 6th Dec 2019. Today, a central function was inaugurated by Minister of State for Labour and Employment with an aim to enroll one crore beneficiaries for PM-SYM and 50 lakhs beneficiaries for NPS-Traders by March 2020. This event was live webcast to all 3.5 lakhs Common Service Centres across the country.
Shri Gangwar stated that both the pension schemes are simple and hassle free. For the enrolments, only Aadhar and savings bank/Jandhan account is required. It takes only 2-3 minutes time to get oneself enrolled under the Schemes. The monthly contribution has been kept at the lowest level that ranges from Rs.55 to Rs.200 per month depending upon the entry ages of the subscriber. If a person is of age 30 years, his monthly contribution would be around Rs.100 per month. In this way, he will contribute Rs.1200 only per year and Rs.36,000 in his entire contribution period. But, after attaining 60 years, he will get Rs.36,000 per year as Pension. The life table clearly indicates that if a person reaches 60 years, he is likely to survive around 80 years of his age. In this way, he will get Rs.36,000 pension per year. After his death, his spouse will get 50% of the pension, i.e. Rs.1,500 per month. If husband and wife are both eligible, they can join the Scheme separately and after 60 years, they will get Rs.6,000 as Pension which will be sufficient to meet their daily needs, during their old ages. If one of them dies during the pension period, the spouse will get Rs.4500 per month as monthly pension .
The Minister expressed hope that during the Pension Week we will organize awareness campaign among 10 crore Ayushman beneficiaries, 11 crore MGNREGA workers, 4-5 crore BOC workers, 2.5 crore Self Help Group members, 40 lakh Anganwadi workers and 10 lakh ASHA workers about the benefits of these Pension Schemes.
While addressing the function, Labour Secretary Shri Heeralal Samariya said that the CSCs which will enroll more than 100 persons, during the Pension Week, will be given additional incentive. In this incentive, CSC-SPV will not take any share and complete amount will be transferred to the respective VLEs/CSCs.
Shri Samariya said that it will be our sincere effort to motivate targeted groups like construction workers, ASHA workers, Aanganwadi workers and domestic workers to get benefit from the schemes. He expressed hope that the State Governments along with their District level functionaries should try to enroll maximum number of beneficiaries during the week. The progress of the Scheme is being regularly reviewed in the Ministry.
Ms. Anuradha Prasad, Additional Secretary, L&E, Shri Sunil Barthwal, CPFC, Shri Ajay Tewari, DGLW and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.
AYUSH
IMPCL pays a dividend of more than 1.5 crores to Ministry of Ayush
Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation , a central public sector enterprise , working under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, has announced to pay a dividend of Rs 1.65 crores to its stakeholders – Ministry of Ayush and Government of Uttarakhand. The dividend, in the form of a cheque, was handed over to Ayush Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a ceremony held at Ayush Bhawan, today.
Acknowledging the fact that IMPCL is a Mini Ratna company, the Minister said that Ayush system of medicines are being recognized worldwide and the market size is increasing as well. The IMPCL has paid 15% Dividend on Profit After Tax  which comes to Rs. 1.66 cr. The dividend proportion to Rs. 1.63 cr. to Government of India and Rs. 3 Lakhs to M/s KMVN ltd for the year 2020-21. IMPCL is a Public Sector undertaking under the administrative control of M/o Ayush. It is a joint Venture Company with the Govt. of India having a share of 98.11% and the Govt. of Uttarakhand having a share of 1.89%. Certification line Company is presently manufacturing 656 Classical Ayurvedic, 332 Unani and 71 Proprietary Ayurvedic Medicines for the various diseases spectrum. Recently, IMPCL has been conferred WHOGMP/CoPP certification by DCG for 18 Ayurvedic Products which gave the opportunity to explore export business.
IMPCL's Managing Director Dr. Mukesh Kumar informed that a total amount of Rs 1,62,64,182 was handed over by the company to Cabinet Minister of Ministry of Ayush as dividend for the year 2020-2021. Similarly Rs 3,13,315 was handed over to the State Government of Uttarakhand through Kumaon mandal Vikas Nigam , a government undertaking working under the Uttarakhand government. Total amount of Rs 1,65,77,497 was handed over as dividend.
According to Managing Director though it was a challenging financial year for the operational activities due to COVID-19 pandemic, It has also given an opportunity due to increased demand of Ayurvedic Medicines in general and Immune Boosting Medicines in particular which has contributed to record all time High turnover of Rs. 164.02 cr. and Profit Before Tax  of Rs. 15.69 cr. for IMPCL during 20-21.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
National Youth Day was celebrated by NYK in collaboration with Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha
Kolkata; January 12, 2022
National Youth Day was celebrated today by Nehru Yuva Kendra-South Kolkata in collaboration with Ramakrishna Mission, Institute of Culture and Bharat Sevashram Sangha, maintaining all Covid-19 norms and protocol to commemorate the elixir of freedom and the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
All the 23 districts under NYKS West Bengal are undertaking series of activities with participation of youth from all walks of life to highlight the importance of youth as well as give them a sense of self-pride and engage them in mega Nation building activities.
Lectures and discussions on philosophy and teachings of Swami Vivekananda, debates on the role of youth in character building, promoting nationalism, unity and inclusive growth were organized. Declamation contest amongst youth on the philosophy and teachings of Swami Vivekananda was also held. All the activities were undertaken with following strict guidelines of Covid-19 norms.
Swami Bishwatmanandaji Maharaj, General Secretary, Bhart Sevashram Sangha, Swami Suparnananda from RKM Institute of Culture along with others attend the programme and addressed the youths.
Special Service and Features
Goa Statehood Day Celebrations: Gomant Vibhushan Awards Presented to Distinguished Artists
Goa, 30 May 2023
Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant honored two exceptional artists with the prestigious Gomant Vibhushan Award during the grand celebration of Goa Statehood Day. The award ceremony, organized by the Directorate of Art and Culture in collaboration with the Department of Information and Publicity, took place at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, Dona Paula. Shri Vinayak Vishnu Khedekar was recognized for his remarkable contributions to the field of Folk Art for the year 2019-20, while Pt. Prabhakar Janardan Karekar was honored for outstanding achievements in Indian Classical Music for the year 2021-22.
The event began with Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant inaugurating a captivating photo exhibition that depicted the extraordinary lives and artistic journeys of Shri Vinayak Vishnu Khedekar and Pt. Prabhakar Janardan Karekar. Additionally, books shedding light on the remarkable achievements of the awardees were released, providing valuable insights into their inspiring careers. The audience was also treated to insightful documentaries that showcased the exceptional talent and dedication of both artists.
During his address, Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant underscored the significance of nurturing the talents of the younger generation and fostering progress across all fields. He expressed, "Recognizing and celebrating the art and accomplishments of individuals is our objective in presenting the Gomant Vibhushan Award. Goa offers a wealth of educational and cultural opportunities, which every young person should seize to make our state proud. The government is committed to providing full support in developing our state, its culture, traditions, and individuals."
Shri Govind Gaude, the Minister for Art and Culture, emphasized the responsibility of preserving Goa's rich cultural heritage and passing it on to future generations. He described Goa as the cultural capital of India and emphasized the transformative power of music, stating, "Music has the ability to alleviate tensions and give meaning to life. Our youth should honor their gurus and repay them by achieving personal growth and success."
Expressing their gratitude, both awardees, Shri Vinayak Vishnu Khedekar and Pt. Prabhakar Janardan Karekar, shared their sentiments on receiving this prestigious recognition.PIB Panaji | S.Thakur/D.Rane
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Ministry of Coal
Paying Rich Tribute to Mahatma Gandhi Coal Ministry Organizes Swacchta Drive
Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena & Senior Functionaries Participate in Cleanliness Activities
Under 'Swacchta Hi Sewa' Campaign, the Ministry of Coal organized a significant cleaning drive today, paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and emphasizing the significance of cleanliness and community participation.
Shri Amrit Lal Meena, Secretary, Ministry of Coal along with Joint Secretary Shri Sanjeev Kumar Kassi, Shri BP Pati, DDG Smt. Santosh, and senior officers including Deputy Secretaries, Directors and over 100 enthusiastic volunteers have come together to contribute their 'Shramdaan' towards the mega cleanliness drive for more than one hour.
The team from the Ministry of Coal embraced the call to action and enthusiastically undertook the task of cleaning Shastri Bhawan and its surrounding areas. This effort was a testament to the ministry's commitment to upholding the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, who believed that cleanliness is an integral part of a progressive society. Their participation reaffirms the spirit of unity and collective responsibility in working towards a cleaner and more sustainable environment and symbolizes the dedication to the principles of cleanliness and community service that Mahatma Gandhi championed throughout his life.
The event emphasized that cleanliness is not just a one-time effort; it is a continuous commitment to preserving environment and ensuring the well-being of our communities. The Coal Ministry believes that the actions today inspire others to take similar steps towards a cleaner and healthier India.
Prime Minister's Office
PM to serve 3 billionth meal to children in Vrindavan tomorrow
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will visit Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow on 11 February 2019.
He will unveil the plaque to mark the serving of 3rd billionth meal by Akshaya Patra Foundation at Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir.
The Prime Minister will then serve the 3rd billionth meal to underprivileged children from schools.He will later address a gathering on this occasion.
Shri Modi will also pay floral tribute at the Vigraha of Srila Prabhupad, the Acharya of ISCKON.
The occasion is to commemorate the serving of 3 billion meals by the foundation.
Background:
Akshaya Patra serves as an implementing partner of Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
In its 19-year journey, Akshaya Patra foundation has served mid-day meals to 1.76 million children in twelve states covering 14,702 schools. In 2016, Akshaya Patra commemorated the serving of 2 billion cumulative meals in the presence of the then President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.
The Foundation works closely with the Ministry of Human Resource Development  and State Governments to serve quality, hygienic, and nutritious food to millions of children.
Mid-Day Meal Scheme is considered to be the largest of its kind programme in the world. The program aims to boost enrolment, attendance, and retention in schools and to improve the health profile of children in the age group of 6-14 years.
PM mentioned about Akshaya Patra Foundation on October 24, 2018, during the launch of ‘Self4Society’ App in New Delhi. He said,“Akshaya Patra is a social start-up, which has turned into a movement that provides food to school children”.
Ministry of Defence
Indian Army Recruits Four Meritorious Sports Women
Giving a major impetus to Indian Army’s efforts to promote “Nari Shakti”, the Indian Army has recruited four meritorious sports women into the Corps of Military Police as Direct Entry Havildars under it’s Mission Olympic Programme.
The four meritorious sportswomen; Recruit Havildar Sakshi , Recruit Havildar Arundhati Choudhary , Recruit Havildar Bhateri  and Recruit Havildar Priyanka  have created history by becoming pioneers to represent the Indian Army in women category at National Championship in Boxing and Wrestling by participating in the 6th Elite Women National Boxing Championship 2022  at Bhopal and Senior National Wrestling Championship  at Vishakhapatnam.
The Indian Army has a long illustrious tradition of promoting and nurturing sports personnel and runs a well-structured programme named “Mission Olympics”. Earlier in the year, Summy, an international level sportswoman who excels in 400 metres athletics and Jasmine Lamboria, Commonwealth Games 2022 Bronze medalist in Boxing were also recruited by the Indian Army.